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"It’s a disease and, unfortunately, the disease flared up," Ryan tells TV Line about Cory's addiction. "As soon as we found out, we staged an intervention with Cory that Lea was 100 percent running out of love and trying to get him better, saying, 'Look. Don’t worry about your job; you will always have a job. Don’t worry about fear. Don’t worry about shame. Just worry about getting better and getting stronger.'"

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Ryan says he was adamant about Cory going straight into rehab, even though it meant him missing out on filming the final episodes of Season 4. "He wanted to finish those last two episodes of [Season 4], and that’s when we found out about the addiction flaring up again and I said, 'F**k no,'" Ryan explains. "'We’re writing you out of these episodes. Your life is more important than any stupid TV show. You’re not going to film. You’re going to get in a car right now and get help that I and [producer] Brad [Falchuk] and Lea have arranged.'"

Ryan says Lea has been a big help in getting everyone through this difficult time. "Lea was very instrumental in trying to save his life and get him the help that he needed, and I think for everyone, including myself and her, it’s just a shock," Ryan says. "She’s also been a rock for many people as well. I’ve never, ever met a 26-year-old girl or boy who’s capable of doing what she’s done in the past week. I marvel at it. I really have taken — as we all have — our lead from Lea. We won’t do anything that she doesn’t want to do."